Recently, an increase in theft and overall concerns of personal security have drawn into question the wisdom of relying on non-locking mailboxes for curbside mail delivery. Mail delivered by a postal carrier is often left unguarded for hours or even days at a time. Valuable correspondence, such as bank statements, negotiable instruments, and credit cards, are placed at risk of being stolen, particularly in light of a rising trend in identity theft.
Providing a locking mechanism on mailboxes provides a partial solution. A lock ensures mail is securely stored and access is limited. However, a locking mechanism is only effective provided that the entire mailbox is not stolen, such as where a thief, out of desperation or expediency, removes the entire mailbox assembly by jimmying or breaking the mailbox from the mounting. Moreover, the awkward shape and limited space afforded by the interior of a mailbox makes the use of robust concealed fasteners difficult. Similarly, one-way screws can make removal difficult, should servicing be later required.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,561, issued Apr. 20, 2004 to Tomas et al., discloses a locking mailbox with a vertically-oriented housing. The mailbox is preferably constructed from durable plastic and can be directly mounted onto a mounting post. Post fasteners accessible through the interior vertically attach the mailbox to a post, but the mailbox is oddly shaped and incompatible with widely used horizontal mounting surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,474,543, issued Nov. 5, 2002 to Grell, discloses a mailbox that defines an arcuate chamber. Decorative articles or liquids can be placed within the chamber. The mailbox is removably attached to a support post using a rectangular base plate that is slidably couples to a horizontal mounting bracket. A tab snappably engages the bracket when the mailbox is properly seated and can be further secured with a padlock. However, the base plate is a structure separate from the mailbox and exposes the bracket to compromise and breakage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,748, issued Sep. 9, 1997 to Speece et al., discloses a universal mounting base for securing multiple sizes of mailboxes to a variety of post mounting configurations. Oppositely disposed sidewalls define extended mounting flanges with a recessed bottom facing inwardly. A molded mounting bracket provides multiple support parts and arm engagement areas. In addition, the mounting flanges have apertures to facilitate mounting using exposed fasteners, which are susceptible to breakage and compromise.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,938, issued Feb. 7, 1995 to West, discloses a mailbox post mounting with a frame for securing a mailbox on an upright square or rectangular post. A pair of parallel brackets receives the ends of a pair of bars that are mounted at right angles to form a rectangular frame. Each bar includes holes for fastening the mount to a post. The brackets include apertures for mounting the mailbox. The complete mounting is formed of four separate non-integral parts susceptible to breakage and exposure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,954, issued Aug. 16, 1994 to Kobilarcik et al., discloses a mailbox mounting bracket. The bracket includes spaced flanges depending from ribbed members formed on the bottom surface of the bracket to permit mounting onto a stanchion. Lugged members provided on the sidewalls of the bracket are received in apertures in the flanges depending from the bottom wall of the mailbox. The mounting bracket is non-integral and leaves fasteners exposed and susceptible to compromise.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,552,915, issued May 15, 1951 to Zachrich, discloses a rural mailbox supporting bracket, which includes a base plate, a pair of bracket members, and two pairs of post clamps. The base plate is substantially oblong with opposite side portions bent downwardly to form lateral flanges disposed to be fit within the post clamps. The mailbox is secured to the supporting bracket by outwardly disposed fasteners that are susceptible to breakage and theft.
Therefore, there is a need for a secure mounting that provides unencumbered access to mounting hardware, yet can become a unitary part of a mailbox without sacrificing ease of removal or maintenance.